Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 07.193 May 7, 1998 1) Mandy Patinkin CD _Mameloshn_ (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 2) Refreshed matzo (Dan Leeson) 3) Meldung fun der "fishman fundatsiye" (Joshua Fishman) 4) M. Gebirtig's song "Undzer shtetl brent" (Avraham Chasid) 5) Arum dem fayer (Feygl Infeld Glezer) 6) Arum dem fayer (Vivian Aldridge) 7) Arum dem fayer (Maynard Wishner) 8) Arum dem fayer (Inna Barmash) 9) Arum dem fayer (Hershl Hartman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 09:28:26 EDT From: SHirshan Subject: Mandy Patinkin CD _Mameloshn_ Has anyone heard Patinkin's CD? Its always sold out in this garden of Yiddish, oy, in South Florida and I would have to order it to get it. It sounds like a neshomedike gift for Amerikanishe eyniklekh, kinder and/or friends - but I wonder about his pronunciation, as all articles say he could speak not a word before this debut. Reports have it that Moishe Rosenfeld and Zalmen Mlotek coached him in speech. Artful teachers. How would you rate the student? The Chicago Trib reported that Patinkin was near ecstatci at an interview. Discovering (thanks to Joe Papp) and learning mameloshn, and creating a CD has fulfilled him as none of his other goals and professional successes had. Lomir mekabl ponim zayn a nayer yid! Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 01 May 1998 18:58:46 EDT From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@admin.fhda.edu" Subject: Refreshed matzo I know Passover is over and we are on to other things, but like most people I bought too much matzo and now I'm slogging my way through it. Which brings me to my point. My grandmother always made matzo in what she referred to as "refreshed" form. The term she used was "frisht oyf." To make it she wet the matzo and then steamed it for perhaps 30 seconds on a side, this as distinct from crisping an old matzo by heating it at 350 for 10 minutes. The end result of steaming the matzo is a soft, pliable snack, this as contrasted with heating it which produces a crispy one. Now to my question: was the term my grandma used, "frisht oyf" unique to her? Was it a local description? If anyone on Mendele remembers eating matzo which had been so steamed (and was served either with butter or with schmaltz and salt), what Yiddish name was used to describe this snack? Or did my grandma invent the pliable steamed matzo, which I doubt? Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 16:06:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Joshua Fishman Subject: Meldung fun der "fishman fundatsiye" Der termin af ontsugebn aplikatsiyes tsu der "arn un sonye fishman fundatsiye far yidisher kultur", in shaykhes mit proyektn af tsu shtarkn yidish tsvishn kinder un yugnt, iz oktober dem 31stn. Aplikatsiyes darfn zayn af yidish, nit lenger vi fir zaytlekh, mit a genoyem arbetplan (d"h, nit nor plener un tsiln, nor "mi umi hahoylkim" un vos iz zeyer derfarung in shaykhes mit der arbet vos darf geton vern) un, lesof, a genoyem budzshet. Yeder aplikant muz ongebn di fun-shtayern-bafrayte- organizatsiye vos vet ufpasn af ale hoytsoes un tsushikn a letstgiltikn finantsyeln barikht biz sof 1999. S'rov subventsn zenen af eyn yor un bavilikn tsu $1000 biz $1500, khotsh a bisl lengere proyektn un gresere subventsn veln oykh batrakht vern. Aplikatsiyes (4 kopiyes) darf men araynshikn afn vayterdikn adres: "Aaron and Sonia Fishman Foundation for Yiddish Culture, 345 Sheridan Ave., Apt. 207, Palo Alto, CA 94306". N.B. Aplikatsiyes in shaykhes mit loyfike organizatsiyonele hoytoes veln nit batrakht vern. Joshua Fishman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 04 May 1998 13:32:36 +0300 From: Abe Chasid Subject: M. Gebirtig's song "Undzer shtetl brent I am curious to get background information in some detail about M.Gebirtig's classic song. Leonard Prager sent me a copy of an aricle of his on "Galitsyaner". In the article, it is written: "We need to remember that Gebirtig is most famous for his song "Undzer shtetl brent," which was written as early as 1938 following a pogrom in Pszytyk and which was later adopted by the Jewish youth of Krakow and others as a battlesong against the Nazis." My $64 question is: 1. What exactly happened in Pszytyk ?? 2. Where was Gebirtig at the time ? 3. How did this song become the "the Battle Hymn of the ghetto ? A yashher koiakh to Leonard Prager who gave me this information, and to all others who can enlighten me. Avraham Chasid 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 02:57:01 -0400 From: yiddish1@juno.com (Feigl I Glaser) Subject: Arum dem fayer [Moderator's note: all five versions of the song _arum dem fayer_ sent to Mendele have only slight variations. Mendele posts them all for the benefit of current and future folklorists. i.v.] Tsu der onfrage fun Dobe Waserman vegn dem kemp-fayer lid "ARUM DEM FAYER", vi es gedenkt zikh: Arum dem fayer Mir Zingen lider, Di nakht iz tayer, Mir vern nit mider. Koym vet dos fayer Farloshn vern - Shaynt oyf der himl mit zayne likhtike shtern. Batsirt dem kop Mit blumen-krantsn, Arum dem fayer Mir freylekh tantsn, Vayl tantsn, zingen Iz undzer lebn; Arum dem fayer Khaloymes shvebn. Beste grusn, Feygl Infeld Glezer 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 09:03:00 +0000 From: vivaldi@es-basel.ch (ES-Basel) Subject: Arum dem fayer According to the texts supplied with the CD "Autres chansons yiddish" by Jacinta the words are: Arum dem fayer Mir zingen lider, Di nakht iz tayer, Men vert nit mider. Un zol dos fayer Farloshn vern Shaynt oyf der himl Mit zayne shtern. Bakroynt di kep Mit blumen-krantsn Arum dem fayer Mir freylekh tantsn. Vayl tants un lid Iz undzer lebn, Dernokh in shlof Khaloymes shvebn. Vivian Aldridge 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 10:29:46 -0500 From: mwishner@jon.cjfny.org Subject: Arum dem fayer In reply to Stanley Werbow's request [07.192]: Arum dem fayer Mie zingen lieder. Di nacht is tahyer. "Svert kainer mieder. Un az di fayer Vet farloshen veren Shaynt oif der himmel Mit zaineh shteren. Kroint aiyreh kep Mit blumen krantzen. Arum dem fayer Tut freilach tantzen. Veil tantz un lieder Iz unzer leben Un dahn in fayer Chaloimes veben. Arum dem fayer) Di nacht is tayer) We sang these lines with a flourish as sort of a coda Arum dem fayer) Maynard Wishner 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 10:41:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Inna Barmash Subject: Arum dem fayer If I understand the yiddish correctly, Dobe Wasserman asked about the rest of the song: Arum Dem Fayer -- this song was popular in the 1930s in Poland and the United States. Arum dem fayer Mir zingen lider, Di nakht is tayer, Men vert nit mider. Un zol der fayer Farloshn vern Shaynt oyf der himl Mit zayne shtern. To kroynt di kep Mit blumen-krantsn - Arum dem fayer Mir'n freylekh tantsn. Vayl tants un lid Iz undzer lebn, Dernokh in shlof - Khaloymes shvebn. Inna Barmash Princeton, NJ p.s. it's one of the first yiddish songs I learned as well. 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 16:05:54 EDT From: Hershl Subject: arum dem fayer di verter funm lid "arum dem fayer" vern gegebn azoy in an aleyn-gedrukt bikhele, "zingen mir," 1965, tsuzamengeshtelt fun Sam Liptzin: arum dem fayer iz ales liber. di nakht iz tayer, mir zingen lider. un zol dos fayer farloshn vern, shaynt undz der himl mit zayne shtern. bakroynt di kep mit blumen krantsn, arum dem fayer mir freylekh tantsn. vayl tents un lider iz undzer lebn, dernokh in shlof-- khaloymes vebn. Hershl Hartman Los Angeles ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 07.192 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://mendele.commons.yale.edu http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html